General Contractor License Requirements by State
Oversee and manage construction projects from start to finish. Compare general contractor license requirements across all 50 states below.
National Licensing Overview
31 out of 50 states require a state-level license for general contractors. In the remaining 19 states, licensing is either handled at the local level or not required at all.
Average license fee across states that require licensing: $305. Average exam fee: $122. Actual costs vary significantly by state.
Alabama
Alabama
$470
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Alaska
Alaska
$715
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Arizona
Arizona
$545
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Arkansas
Arkansas
$455
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
California
California
$800
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Colorado
Colorado
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Connecticut
Connecticut
$685
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Delaware
Delaware
$600
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Florida
Florida
$570
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Georgia
Georgia
$515
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Hawaii
Hawaii
$855
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Idaho
Idaho
$500
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Illinois
Illinois
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Indiana
Indiana
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Iowa
Iowa
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Kansas
Kansas
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Kentucky
Kentucky
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Louisiana
Louisiana
$495
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Maine
Maine
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Maryland
Maryland
$660
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
$740
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Michigan
Michigan
$515
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Minnesota
Minnesota
$570
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Mississippi
Mississippi
$445
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Missouri
Missouri
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Montana
Montana
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Nebraska
Nebraska
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Nevada
Nevada
$600
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
New Jersey
New Jersey
$715
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
New Mexico
New Mexico
$500
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
New York
New York
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
North Carolina
North Carolina
$525
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
North Dakota
North Dakota
$515
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Ohio
Ohio
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Oregon
Oregon
$625
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
$615
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
South Carolina
South Carolina
$500
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
South Dakota
South Dakota
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Tennessee
Tennessee
$495
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Texas
Texas
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Utah
Utah
$545
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Vermont
Vermont
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Virginia
Virginia
$600
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Washington
Washington
$660
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
West Virginia
West Virginia
$455
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
$515
Total Cost
4 yrs
Experience
Yes
Exam
Wyoming
Wyoming
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam